NYC Scene Report – Christopher Ardra, Matt Pond PA and Anya Marina, & Van Chamberlain

This week’s NYC Scene Report features Christopher Ardra with a song for friends who seem lost, Matt Pond PA and Anya Marina listening to their dog, and Van Chamberlain “Running Through The World.”

* Christopher Ardra, formerly of the NYC-based rock band Station, will be releasing his second solo album later this year, the first single off of which is the ‘80s-tinged “Tell Me.”

Discussing the song in a statement, Ardra said, “‘Tell Me’ was one of the first I wrote as a solo artist, and I’ve performed it at every show I’ve had, although it’s grown up a bit along the way. The song is about several people in my life who I feel do not act in their own interest because they cannot figure out what they want. They don’t know where they see themselves, and therefore are constantly creating situations that they do not actually want to be in.”

It’s a song not just for the lost, but for the friends of the lost, who would love to help them find their way, if only they knew where they wanted to go.

Ardra will be hitting the stage at DROM on March 26th, and no matter how lost you may be, after hearing “Tell Me” you’ll want to find your way there.

* Matt Pond PA and Anya Marina make a heck of a team, both in music, and in life. The married couple recently released a new single together, and their dog has a starring role … when it comes the inspiration for it, not the recording of it.

Titled “The Dog Told Me,” Matt Pond PA shared on Instagram, “‘The Dog Told Me’ is about finding a way back to each other when things feel uncertain – through music, through patience, through our dog. What began as something personal became a small act of hope. The world is wild, but we’re all still here, finding our way together.”

The lyric “don’t let it defeat you,” which begins each verse, can be thought of on a myriad of levels based on what a listener is going through, and the soft, beautiful, tones of the duo really do make it feel like everything is going to be alright. Click play, and let the advice of a dog give you some comfort.

* Lace up your sneakers, because indie rockers Van Chamberlain are about to take you “Running Through The World.”

The third single from their upcoming album, As Far As the Eye Can See, the band explained the song in a statement, saying, “‘Running Through the World’ is an anthem of nonconformity taking the shape of love and optimism in response to a world that doesn’t seem interested in fulfilling its promises. Set against the backdrop of New York City, this one is for anyone out there who refuses to lose sight of that distant light. It’s still out there.”

Sometimes we could use a reminder that there’s something out there worth running towards. “Running Through The World” is that reminder.

For more of the best of NYC’s indie music scene, come back next Wednesday, and check out the archives for previous columns.